Page 55 of Shattered and Saved

“I…” My throat felt raw, the word rasping out. “I…feel fine. I guess?”

My gaze darted around the room as I tried to orient myself. The sterile smell and bright walls told me I was in the pack hospital. How did I end up here? Fragments of memory pieced themselves together, and my hand shot to the base of my neck.

The mark.

My fingers pressed the spot where Avril's teeth had pierced my skin. I felt the rough texture of the scar - the mark of her bite. It pulsed with her presence, the threads of the bond I had severed years ago pulled tight once more. Simply tracing the proof of her claim on me sent a shiver through my body.

But the peace it brought me was short-lived when I noticed something on my forearm.

I froze. The intricate tribal design was impossible to miss. It looked like a tattoo, but certainly didn’t feel like one. Just looking at it, I knew it was beyond removal, a part of me now, embedded in the core of my being. The black lines were not branded with ink - they were etched into my skin, more alive than simple art, more permanent than any scar.

“What…is this?” I struggled to ask, confusion making my head spin.

My gaze darted to Avril as I searched for answers, but it only caused her expression to twist, her lips pressing into a line that conveyed the deepest guilt.

“Alpha Koen,” a different female voice cut through the tension. Panicked, I turned in the direction of the sound, acknowledging the shaman’s presence for the first time. “It seems the alpha’s mark did more than just rekindle your bond. Somehow, it appears to have…transformed you.”

“Transformed?” My voice was barely a rasp, uncertain as I tried to deny the truth before my eyes. “How?”

“It turned us, Koen,”Col chimed in, taking me by surprise.“We’re Ashen Wolves now, just like our mate.”

My wolf’s words seemed to flip a switch inside my head, and I suddenly remembered. The bond. The fire. The mark. It all came rushing back, pieces falling into place, though the picture they formed was one I couldn’t quite comprehend.

I had so many questions. So many contradicting feelings. To prevent myself from spiralling, I focused on my counterpart instead.

Col had finally awakened, but something still wasn’t right. I could barely see him, as if he were a shadow hiding in the depths of my mind. But I could definitely sense that something was different about him.

Before I could ask him any questions, our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the pack doctor. “Alpha Koen,” she greeted, offering a curt bow of her head. “It’s a relief to see you’re awake.”

Avril stepped away from my hospital bed, giving the doctor room to work. She asked how I was feeling, performing some routine tests before removing the IV from my left arm.

“Well, you’re good to go!” she assured me, turning to Avril afterward. “Alpha.” She bowed her head in respect, excusing herself as she left the room.

Vereya was next, after letting us know not to hesitate to come to her if we needed anything else. Avril stayed with me, watching me like a hawk as I pulled myself up to get dressed. Aside from constantly reassuring that I was okay, she didn’t utter a word. Her expression was unreadable, serving only to spike my nervousness. She was holding back, and I didn’t know why.

Once I was ready to leave the hospital, I decided to address my questions at last, finally breaking the silence. “How long was I out for?” I began.

“Almost twenty-four hours,” she revealed in a low, shameful voice.

I flinched. “Wow. It didn’t feel like it?”

“What did it feel like?” she asked quietly, glancing at me from the corner of her eye.

"Honestly, it’s hard to explain," I confessed thoughtfully, trying to organize the confusion in my mind before briefly describing what I had gone through, even though I could hardly understand it myself.

She nodded silently. “Do you feel any different?”

At her question, I instinctively glanced at the new mark on my forearm, rotating it to analyze the tribal symbol. For the first time, as I filled my lungs with air, I turned my focus inward. As oxygen reached my cells, they seemed to come alive with an eerie energy. With every beat of my heart, a pulse of raw power coursed through my entire being.

Was this the power of an Ashen Wolf?

“Col says I’m like you now,” I finally answered, repeating my wolf’s exact words.

Avril lowered her gaze, and I sensed her becoming more distant. “I didn’t know this would happen,” she said, her voice trembling with guilt. “I didn’t mean…”

“I know,” I reassured her, turning to look at her. “But what does this mean? Is it true? Could I really have turned into an Ashen Wolf?”

She shrugged, drawing her shoulders in. “There’s only one way to find out,” she said, and I immediately understood. The easiest way to confirm what changes I’d undergone was to shift and test if I could use any of her kind’s abilities.

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